flight turbulence forecast

FR122 turbulence forecast

Ryanair · Dublin (DUB) to London (LGW)

Next departure at its usual time · Fri 6 Nov, 12:35 Dublin time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air FR122 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchLight

Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink.

DUB12:35Dublin
1h 25m
LGW14:00London
Model run 6 Nov, 00:00 UTC · checked just now
DUBLGW
SmoothLightModerateSevere The line is the planned route of FR122, coloured by its own forecast. The shading is the bumpy air and storms forecast at cruise height around the middle of the flight.
Bumpiest stretch
Light
Flight time
1h 25m
Distance
485 km
Cruise altitude
33,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
Medium
Aircraft
Boeing 737 NG

Bumpiness along the flight

Takeoff on the left, landing on the right. The higher the line, the bumpier the air the forecast expects at that moment.

SmoothLightModerateSevere Take off Landing

Where, and why

The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.

Cruise0m – 46mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise46m – 1h 8mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Descent into London1h 8m – 1h 25mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

Coming down means flying back through the low, lively air near the ground: afternoon thermals, gusts around the airport. It is the busiest part of the flight for the crew, and the part they train for most.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add FR122 in FlyBud and you get the full turbulence map along your route, a push when the forecast for your flight changes, live tracking and your flight on the lock screen.

Flight status

The latest FR122 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

FR122 · Sat 24 OctArrived · 39 min late
Departs · DUB
18:23
Scheduled 17:25 · Terminal 1
Arrives · LGW
19:34
Scheduled 18:55 · Terminal S

Last update 12 days ago

Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.

The aircraft

What FR122 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Boeing 737-800

Type code
B738
Seats on this flight
189
First flew
1997
In service since
1998
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, and every airliner is designed for much stronger turbulence than it will meet.

Boeing 737 NG safety record →

The airline

Ryanair

Flying since
1984
Hubs
London Stansted, Dublin, Milan Bergamo
Country
Ireland

Ryanair safety record →

on your lock screen

FR122 without unlocking your phone

Gate, delay, time to landing and the next bumpy stretch, on the lock screen from boarding to the baggage belt.

The route

Dublin (DUB) → London (LGW)

Distance
485 km
Flight time
1h 25m
Usual departure
12:35 local
Usual arrival
14:00 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent FR122 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Sat 24 Oct 737-800 Moderate 39 min late

What each level feels like

Smooth
Calm air. Nothing to notice beyond the hum of the engines.
Light
Gentle ripples and the odd dip. Drinks stay put, and walking to the toilet is fine.
Moderate
Clear bumps. Drinks may slosh and the belt sign comes on. Uncomfortable, but the pilots stay in full control.
Severe
Strong jolts, and loose items can move. This is rare, and it's why the belt sign exists. Crews slow down and change altitude to get out of it.

How this forecast is made

The planned route is sampled from gate to gate at the altitude the aircraft flies, through 3 independent global weather models, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast; nothing here is a guess from the airline's history.

The weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of FR122 over the moving forecast: bumpy air, storms and the winds at cruise height. Scrub through the flight hour by hour.

Why turbulence isn't dangerous

Aircraft are designed for much worse.

Airliners are tested to loads well beyond anything turbulence produces. The wings are meant to flex, so seeing them move is normal.

Crews know where it is.

Your crew has forecasts like this one, live reports from other pilots and their own weather radar, and they change altitude to stay out of bumpy air.

Keep your belt on.

Almost all turbulence injuries happen to people who are standing or not buckled in. Seated with your belt on, turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous.

Is turbulence dangerous? The long answer →

Questions about FR122

Will FR122 be bumpy?

For the flight on Fri 6 Nov: Smooth most of the way, with some light bumps mid-flight. Barely moves your drink. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies FR122?

Recently FR122 has been flown with: Boeing 737 NG. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is FR122?

About 1h 25m gate to gate from Dublin to London, a distance of about 485 km.

What time does FR122 leave?

FR122 usually departs Dublin at 12:35 local time and arrives in London at 14:00 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on FR122?

Turbulence is uncomfortable, not dangerous to the aircraft. Airliners are certified for loads far beyond anything turbulence produces, and crews plan around the bumpy patches with the same kind of forecast as this one. Injuries are almost always to people who were standing or unbuckled, so keep your seatbelt fastened whenever you're seated.

How accurate is this turbulence forecast?

It is a forecast, so it is best within a day or so of departure and improves with every model run. The bumpy patches it finds are usually in the right place, but their timing can shift by a few minutes and the crew may change altitude to avoid them, so the ride you get is often smoother than the forecast.

flybud

Fly FR122 knowing what's ahead

The turbulence forecast for your exact flight, live tracking, delay alerts and arrival weather. Built for people who'd rather know.

FR122Light